When someone else causes you to sustain an injury through their actions or omissions, you can seek compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit against them. The compensation you could recover through your lawsuit may cover your medical expenses, lost wages, permanent disability, pain and suffering, and more.
Contact Schwaba Law Firm for a free consultation with a Mooresville, NC, personal injury lawyer. We’ll explain your options for seeking compensation and answer any questions about the legal process and your case in particular.
Why Choose Us as Your Mooresville Personal Injury Lawyer?
Schwaba Law Firm has provided comprehensive legal support to people injured in Mooresville accidents and their families since 2010. Throughout our years of experience, we’ve recovered millions for our clients by negotiating settlements with insurance companies and representing their best interests at trial.
Our track record of success includes a $1.1 million verdict for a client injured in a motor vehicle collision, a $750,000 settlement for a client injured in a tractor-trailer collision, and a $325,000 settlement for a client injured at a ski resort.
Types of Cases We Handle in Mooresville, NC
Our personal injury lawyers in North Carolina handle a wide variety of cases in Mooresville. Some of the most common cases we handle include:
- Car Accidents – Head-on, rear-end, and side-impact collisions can all lead to serious injuries for car accident victims that have long-term effects on their well-being.
- Truck Accidents – These motor vehicle accidents are typically more complex than car accidents due to the injuries, parties, and federal trucking regulations involved.
- Motorcycle Accidents – Unlike car drivers and passengers, motorcycle riders don’t have the protection of a steel frame around their bodies. This makes them more prone to serious or fatal injuries in a collision.
- Bicycle Accidents – Many cyclist injuries result from motorists not adequately looking out for them or intentionally driving aggressively around them.
- Pedestrian Accidents – Pedestrians often sustain serious injuries when struck by drivers who are distracted or speeding.
- Products Liability – Products with defective designs, manufacturing errors, or insufficient warning labels can cause severe injuries to consumers, making the manufacturers liable.
- Premises Liability – Property owners and managers are responsible for keeping their properties free from known or expected hazards that could injure visitors.
- Workplace Injuries – While workers’ compensation covers many workplace injuries, you may still be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against a third party that contributed to the accident.
Understanding Personal Injury Law in North Carolina
To have a successful personal injury lawsuit in North Carolina, you must show that the at-fault party’s actions contributed to your injuries. This is a key part of demonstrating the at-fault party’s liability, which is their financial responsibility for the losses you suffered due to your injuries.
For example, if you were injured in a car accident in Mooresville, NC, you would have to show that the other driver caused the accident, such as by running a red light. However, under North Carolina’s contributory negligence law, you are barred from seeking compensation if you are even 1 percent at fault for your injuries. This makes it even more critical to hire an experienced attorney to handle your personal injury claim.
It’s also crucial to keep in mind that North Carolina’s statute of limitations gives victims three years to file lawsuits for personal injury and two years to file a wrongful death suit. If you miss this deadline, the courts will prevent you from seeking the compensation you need.
Steps to Take After a Mooresville Accident
After sustaining an injury in a Mooresville accident, taking the following steps can strengthen your legal case against the at-fault party:
- Always follow up with your medical treatment until you fully recover or reach maximum medical improvement.
- Keep track of any medical or other bills related to your case, so your lawyer can use them to calculate your losses.
- Write down everything you remember about the accident, including when, where, and how it occurred.
- Document your recovery by taking pictures of your visible injuries and noting how they affect your daily life.
- Avoid speaking to insurance adjusters without your lawyer present, and never admit fault for the accident.
- Avoid posting about the accident or your injuries on social media and lock down your account for the duration of your case.
- Consult a personal injury lawyer about your case and let them handle it while you focus on recovering from your injuries.
Why Local Experience Matters
Hiring a local personal injury attorney is essential because they’ll have a better understanding of the local laws that may apply to you. They’ll also have working relationships with local experts who can help support your case. And they’ll understand how the local judges prefer to run their courtrooms.
An out-of-town lawyer lacks the local experience of an attorney who understands the Mooresville justice system. When seeking compensation for your injuries, losses, and expenses, you want someone who has been down this path before.
How We Build Strong Cases
Our lawyers build strong personal injury cases by gathering various types of supporting evidence, including:
- Accident scene photographs depicting the hazardous condition that caused your injuries or the aftermath of the accident
- Traffic or surveillance camera footage showing the accident occurring
- Statements from eyewitnesses who saw the accident and can back up your claims about what occurred
- Testimony from expert witnesses, such as medical professionals, accident reconstruction specialists, and vocational experts, that supports your case
- Medical records detailing the extent and severity of your injuries, as well as the recommended treatments for them
- Other evidence that relates to your case, such as property maintenance records in a premises liability case or truck black box recordings in a commercial truck collision case
The Cost of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer in Mooresville
Most personal injury lawyers in Mooresville work on a contingency fee basis, which means you only have to pay if they secure compensation for you through a settlement or verdict. The law firm will receive a percentage of the compensation you receive in a verdict or settlement. You’ll agree upon the percentage ahead of time.
When you have your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer, it’s always a good idea to ask about their fee structure to avoid surprises later on. If the lawyer uses a contingency fee, find out what percentage their fee is. And if they use an hourly rate, find out what it is and how many hours they expect your case to take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive from injured clients about personal injury cases in Mooresville, NC.
How much is my Mooresville accident case worth?
The value of your Mooresville accident case depends on several factors, including the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life. More severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries, typically require more expensive and extensive medical treatment that can drive up the value of your case.
Additionally, if your injuries impact your life long-term, you could receive more compensation for non-economic losses like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or permanent disability. Your lawyer will assess your losses and determine fair compensation to pursue through your lawsuit.
How long will my case take?
Your personal injury case could take anywhere from several weeks to a few months to potentially years. The exact timeline depends on factors such as the severity of your injuries, the complexity of your case, how many parties are involved, and whether the at-fault party’s insurance company agrees to settle the case for a fair amount.
In general, the less severe your injuries are and the less complex your case is, the more likely it is to resolve faster. During your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer, they may be able to provide an estimated timeline based on the facts of your case.
Can I still recover compensation if I was partly at fault?
Unfortunately, unlike in many other states, you cannot recover compensation through a lawsuit in North Carolina if you were partly at fault. North Carolina follows a strict contributory negligence rule that bars victims who are even partly at fault for the incidents that harmed them from recovering compensation.
However, you may still be able to recover compensation through a settlement if the other party’s insurance company doesn’t believe it will have an easy time proving you were partly at fault in court. This is why it’s essential to have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side to fight for a fair settlement or verdict.
Do I need to hire a lawyer for a minor accident?
It’s always in your best interest to hire a lawyer to handle your personal injury case, even if you were involved in a minor accident. Minor accidents can still cause injuries with long-term effects on your well-being, so it’s important to have an experienced lawyer help you seek fair compensation.
For example, even if you were only in a minor rear-end collision, you may suffer back and neck injuries that persist for years and cause chronic pain. A lawyer can help you seek maximum compensation not only for your past medical expenses, but also for your future medical expenses and the pain and suffering you experience.
Contact Our Mooresville Personal Injury Lawyers Today
If you sustained injuries caused by someone else in North Carolina, contact Schwaba Law Firm for a free consultation with a professional, experienced, and aggressive personal injury lawyer. One of our lawyers in Mooresville, NC, will review your case to identify its strengths and weaknesses and help you understand your options for seeking compensation.
